Kerala Minister Sivankutty: BJP 'firmly shut out' from Nemom, LDF to sweep capital district
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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V. Sivankutty declared on Sunday that the Bharatiya Janata Party stands no chance in Nemom and predicted a clean sweep of all 14 Assembly seats in Thiruvananthapuram district by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the upcoming polls.
Addressing reporters, the Nemom MLA asserted the BJP's prospects remain "firmly shut out" as before. "There is no reason for the people not to vote for the Left. This is a government that has delivered for everyone and implemented programmes benefiting all sections of society," he said.
Nemom holds iconic status in Kerala politics since 2016, when BJP veteran O. Rajagopal became the party's first Assembly winner, breaking through in the 140-seat House. The LDF reclaimed it in 2021 as Sivankutty ousted BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan, a former state president and Governor, reversing his own 2016 loss.
Ahead of the next elections, the constituency braces for a fierce three-way battle among LDF, Congress-led UDF, and BJP-led NDA. Observers highlight its symbolic weight for the BJP, eager to recapture its Kerala breakthrough seat.
Despite health concerns, Sivankutty expressed strong confidence in LDF's dominance across the capital district. State BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who plans his Assembly debut from Nemom, drew optimism from leading in the segment during his 2024 Lok Sabha loss to Shashi Tharoor.
(Inputs from IANS)
